Twenty per cent of employers in Ireland expects to increase the size of its workforce between April and June, according to a survey by recruitment agency Manpower.

By contrast, just 2 per cent of the executives who were polled said they would reduce the numbers employed during this period.

This is welcome news for the Government, given that about 2,000 jobs were lost in Ireland in the first two months of this year, mostly at multinationals.

Manpower's quarterly survey, which polled the views of 665 Irish employers, found that the restaurant and hotels sectors were most optimistic about hiring new staff, while the pharmaceutical industry was the least positive.

This could reflect the decision of Pfizer to cuts jobs at its operations in Cork.

On a regional basis, employers in Munster were the most optimistic about recruiting new staff, while those in Connaught were the most cautious. In Dublin, fewer employers said they were optimistic about hiring new staff than in the first three months of this year.

The Irish survey was part of a global poll conducted by Manpower's Milwaukee-based parent group of the same name. In the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, Ireland ranked second only to South Africa in terms of hiring activity. France, Italy, Austria and Belgium all reported the weakest outlooks.

Jason Kennedy, managing director of Manpower's operation here, said the outlook "remains positive" for employment in Ireland, in spite of recent high-profile job losses.